Most charcoal chimneys are just a tube with holes cut in the bottom with a little piece expanded or otherwise holey metal plate about a third of the way up. Stuff paper underneath, put the charcoal on top and light.

I just don't like the idea of having to invert two pounds of hot death onto the grill grate.

If the chimney eliminated the holey plate all together, and instead had holes around the perimeter of the cylinder, you could stick little harwood sticks through the chimney. Then the charcoal could rest on them.

Then you could put the thing directly on the grate and light some paper under it. The sticks would burn away, and the chimney could be lifted straight off, leaving the charcoals in a neat pile.
-- nomocrow, Oct 05 2007

That is how those things used to be designed. In fact my dad used to use a coffee can (back when coffee came in metal cans). You just took an old coffee can, cut the bottom out. Then used a church key to punch holes all around the bottom. Put it in the grill, add paper and charcoal (and gasoline, lighter fluid, gunpowder, U-238, etc. My dad can be a bit nuts at times) light and back away. When the flames die down and you have put the trees out and stomped out all the cinders that flew into the yard, you just lift the can off with pliers and you are ready to ruin steaks, burgers, hot dogs, freshly electrocuted pigeon, anything really.
-- Galbinus_Caeli, Oct 05 2007


laughing out loud
-- evilpenguin, Oct 05 2007


Can I bun [Galbinus_Caeli] for an annotation? In any case, a [+] for the whole beautiful mess.
-- awesomest, Oct 05 2007


What does this have to do with car accidents?
-- BJS, Oct 05 2007


Train:wreck wasn't available. (+) by the way.
-- elhigh, Oct 08 2007


[Galbinus_Caeli] I'm gonna bake this with a coffee can.

Any suggestions for a similar cheap metal open-ended cylindar that I can use for a rocket-hot charcoal holder/wok ring?
-- nomocrow, Oct 10 2007


This could also be used for a game of "Extreme Kerplunk".
-- Srimech, Oct 10 2007



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